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Three leading healthcare bodies in Scotland have called for action to reduce the environmental impact caused by medicine prescribing. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in Scotland, Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland have all urged policymakers to enable a more sustainable approach to prescribing. This includes prioritising the introduction of electronic prescribing across the NHS, introducing the requirement for an environmental impact in NHS medicines procurement and improving the availability of data about the environmental impact of medicines. "We call on Scottish government, including the chief medical officer, to enable the delivery of a realistic medicine approach to prescribing by developing a supportive infrastructure for green social prescribing across Scotland," said the healthcare professionals in a joint statement. They have called on the pharmaceutical industry to make information about the environmental impact of medicines readily available in a standardised data format.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society and Scottish Academy of Medical Royal Colleges co-hosted the NHS Education for Scotland annual virtual conference to discuss the environmental impact of prescribing. One of the conclusions drawn from the conference on Thursday (April 28) stressed on environmentally sustainable prescribing should be embedded in undergraduate and postgraduate health care education. Delegates at the session said they or their teams needed more education. They also needed more information and resources when prescribing to be able to consider environmental issues. Sharon Pfleger, Consultant in Pharmaceutical Public Health at NHS Highland, told the session: "There's a lot of work to be done to reduce carbon emissions. The NHS has identified the use of metered-dose inhalers as its second biggest cause of carbon emissions as the propellant gases have significant global warming potential.

Representatives for prescribers across Scotland, politicians, academics and clinicians gathered to discuss the importance of environmental sustainability in healthcare during a Scottish Parliamentary reception held at Holyrood on Wednesday (13 December). Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) informed the parliament that medicines account for around 25 per cent of carbon emissions across the NHS, while highlighting the various innovative ways to reduce these carbon emissions. The NHS in Scotland needs to implement effective environmentally sustainable approaches to healthcare in order to meet its ambition to achieve net zero, RPS pointed out. Laura Wilson, Director for Scotland at RPS, said: "It was fantastic to bring together pharmacists, parliamentarians and partners from across government and healthcare to highlight the huge opportunity which exists in healthcare to make our systems and processes more environmentally sustainable.

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has committed to playing its part in addressing climate change by undertaking work to establish a carbon footprint baseline to improve its environmental performance. In a statement on Monday (July 18) the pharmacy regulator laid out what it called its vision "to have safe and effective pharmacy care at the heart of healthier communities". Stating that climate change creates health risks and exacerbates health inequalities, GPHC said: "We believe we all have a role to play in contributing to addressing climate change." It announced that it has just joined "a newly formed cross-regulatory group" formed to address issues such as "environmental sustainability". "At the GPhC we have brought together colleagues from across the organisation to consider the environmental impact we have as an employer and as a regulator," it declared.

As local GP services face increasing pressure, the role of pharmacists in managing minor ailments such as cold and cough has become more crucial than ever. Considering environmental and lifestyle factors, such as pollution levels, pollen counts, smoking, and diet, is essential for the effective management of respiratory conditions. In this article, experts explain how pharmacists can leverage these factors to provide more comprehensive advice to patients for managing cold and cough symptoms. Dr Roger Henderson, GP and spokesperson for Olbas, says: "Environmental factors play a critical role in the exacerbation and management of respiratory conditions. For example, high pollution levels can aggravate cold and cough symptoms, particularly in areas where air quality can drastically fluctuate. "By assessing real-time pollution data, pharmacists can advise patients to take precautions on days when pollution levels are high." Air pollution is well known to increase the risk of certain respiratory diseases.

Members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) highlighted the work of pharmacists in making medicines use and the whole NHS more environmentally sustainable at the Welsh Senedd this week. Politicians present were informed that around 25 per cent of the NHS' carbon emissions result from medicines use, and therefore pharmacists' expert skills are crucial for reducing these emissions. RPS Wales Director, Elen Jones, was among the RPS staff who attended the event, which was co-hosted with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. Commenting on the event, Elen said: "It was great to get so many productive conversations with the politicians to highlight the great work pharmacists are already doing in the sustainability field and to explain what further steps are required to reduce the negative environmental and ecological impact of medicines."

Nowadays, one of the biggest problems is environmental pollution. Here mentioned Several types of pollution on earth such as air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, noise pollution.

Pharmanovia, a global pharmaceutical company has announced increased targets to divert 40 per cent of its air shipments to sea in 2023, and 75 per cent by the end of 2028. It has made the pledge as it revealed the significant progress made towards achieving its ambitious science-backed ESG initiatives in its new Sustainability Report. Its industry-leading air-to-sea pilot scheme, which focused on its Spain-to-Australia freight route, cut an estimated 470,000kg in potential CO2 emissions in 2022 - reducing Scope 3 upstream transport emissions by 18 per cent. This initiative demonstrates Pharmanovia's role as an industry leader on carbon reduction and follows a recent report which stated just 16 of 500 pharmaceutical companies measured their entire Scope 3 emissions. The new Sustainability Report reveals that the Scope 2 emissions decreasing by 13 per cent in 2022, due to lower direct electricity demand within the office space. The company's packaging audit seeing a 52 per cent increase in the percentage of products packed with at least one fully recyclable component, up from 12% in 2021 to 64 per cent in 2022 Strong progress in an initiative which saw Pharmanovia set ESG goals all employees across its global offices as part of annual performance awards. Employees achieved a 98 per cent completion rate of the compliance training, including ESG modules

NHS England has commissioned the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) to develop guidance that helps community and hospital pharmacy teams across Britain to reduce the impact of pharmacy services, pharmaceutical care and medicines on the environment. The RPS said the Greener Pharmacy Guidance will enable pharmacies to self-assess their impact against the standards, benchmark and improve through evidence-based activities and actions. "I'm delighted our strong commitment to helping pharmacy reduce its environmental impact can now be taken to the next level through developing guidance and accreditation for pharmacy teams," RPS president Professor Claire Anderson said. "Medicines account for 25 per cent of carbon emissions within the NHS and this initiative underscores our commitment to promoting sustainable healthcare and supporting the NHS's goal of achieving 'net zero' emissions by 2040." Peter Morgan, medicines assistant director at NHS England, commented: "Pharmacy staff are involved in the purchasing and dispensing of almost every medicine used in the NHS and the new Greener Pharmacy Guidance and Self-accreditation scheme will provide support for pharmacy professionals by outlining clear actions to deliver more environmentally sustainable pharmacy practices." The RPS said the guidance and digital self-assessment toolkit will integrate with carbon calculator tools to help pharmacy teams to measure their carbon footprint, action plan to reduce use of carbon and improve sustainability.

Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and the Royal College of General Practitioners in Scotland hosted an event celebrating the collaborative work of the health professions and policy makers in Scotland on reducing the environmental harm from prescribing and medicines use. To share priorities for the Scottish Government, Alpana Mair, Head of Effective Therapeutics and Prescribing spoke and National Clinical Director Jason Leitch appeared virtually. Gillian MacKay MSP, Scottish Greens spokesperson for Health and Social Care also joined in-person. Medicines account for around 25% of the NHS's carbon emissions and have an ecological impact when they enter our wastewater system or our rivers and oceans. Tackling the impact of prescribing will be a key part of meeting the ambition of a net zero NHS Scotland by 2040 at the latest. Together, RCGP Scotland and RPS have held two roundtable events on sustainable prescribing, and in June 2022, released a joint statement calling for a wide range of actions, which was signed by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in Scotland, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, the Royal College of Anaesthetists, the College of Radiographers, Royal College of Nursing, Queen's Nursing Institute Scotland and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Continuing the work of RPS at the International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare, the event aims to mark an opportunity for health professionals and decision makers alike to join a global movement of sustainability in healthcare, and pledge to continue the important work of cutting the climate impact of medicine use while maintaining the highest level of patient care and safety.

Thanks to increasing environmental awareness among people worldwide, there's a growing commitment to sustainable practices across industries. The healthcare sector, including pharmacies, is no exception. Recognising the fact that 'climate crisis is a health crisis', 124 countries signed a new Declaration on Climate and Health at the first-ever Health Day at the United Nations climate change conference, COP28 Dubai, which was held on 3 December 2023. The declaration acknowledged the need to prepare healthcare systems to cope with climate change and accelerate actions to protect communities. Welcoming the declaration, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized the need to build "climate-resilient and low-carbon" health systems to protect the health of both the planet and people. Pharmacies play a crucial role in providing essential medications and healthcare services to the community, but their operations can have environmental implications.

According to the National Health Services (NHS)'s new mandate, pharmaceutical companies seeking to participatign its Antimicrobial Product subscription model must certify to the BSI Kitemark for minimised risk of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) This move is part of the NHS's strategy to tackle the growing global threat of AMR by ensuring that antibiotic manufacturers adhere to stringent environmental controls. The NHS antibiotic subscription model is the first of its kind globally, offering pharmaceutical companies a fixed annual fee based on the value and availability of their antimicrobials to the NHS, rather than the quantity consumed. The innovative approach aims to stimulate the development of new antibiotics while addressing the environmental impact of their production. The NHS antibiotic subscription model is a ground-breaking incentive program as the first in the world to pay companies a fixed annual fee for antimicrobials based on the value of the drugs to the NHS, and their availability, instead of the volumes used.

The business landscape worldwide is undergoing a significant transformation, shifting from a sole focus on profitability to incorporating a broader spectrum of considerations. Today, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria are integral to business operations, reflecting a commitment to sustainable and ethical practices alongside financial growth. ESG stands for three interconnected pillars: Environmental, focusing on reducing a company's ecological footprint; Social, addressing the impact on employees, diversity, equity, inclusion, and the broader community; and Governance, which ensures responsible management practices, ethical behavior, and compliance with regulations. This holistic approach is becoming a critical foundation for long-term success in various industries, including healthcare. For the UK healthcare and pharmacy sectors, integrating ESG not only aligns with global sustainability goals but also offers substantial benefits. This article delves into the specific implications of ESG for UK pharmacies, highlighting how they can leverage these practices to foster both community well-being and business success.

British pharmacy chain Superdrug has announced plans to cease the sale of disposable vapes in all its UK and Ireland stores, citing the environmental impact caused by its disposal and popularity among young people. The pharmacy retailer will discontinue selling brands like Vuse GO and Flavaah Bars, with plans to completely clear out existing stock by the end of the year, the company said in statement. Superdrug, which previously sold 1,300 single-use vapes weekly, expects a potential impact on revenue stemming from this decision. The company has not yet started selling vapes online. "This decision was made to safeguard the environment," the company said on Sept.22, highlighting the risk of fires due to improper disposal of vapes, as many of them contain lithium batteries.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and Pharmacy Declares are inviting pharmacy teams from around the world to sign up and commit to taking "bold action" on climate change as mentioned in a climate change charter which was published on Monday (June 13). The charter asks pharmacy teams to commit to understanding how human health and the systems which underpin it are "reliant on the state of our natural environment" and actively explore ways to make pharmacy practice and medicine use more sustainable. It also asks to collaborate and share best practice to improve sustainability in pharmacy and healthcare; demonstrate leadership on sustainability or being a champion for sustainability at work; and assist patients to optimise their medicine use to increase both health outcomes and environmental sustainability. The individuals can also commit to a personal action on climate change of their own choosing. The Charter is being supported by a strong coalition of organisations from across pharmacy including the Centre for Postgraduate Pharmacy Education, the Clinical Pharmacy Association, College of Mental Health Pharmacy and Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists.

Global healthcare company Mundipharma and Vectura, an inhalation contract development and manufacturing organization, have entered into a collaboration agreement aimed at reformulating an asthma inhaler as part of their commitment to reducing the product's carbon footprint. The companies will be working together on incorporating an environmentally friendly propellant into the formulation of flutiform, a pressurised metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) used for asthma treatment, to achieve a near-zero-emissions product. Currently, the product uses the approved apaflurane hydrofluoroalkane 227 (HFA-227), a type of fluorinated greenhouse gas, as its propellant. The European Union's regulation on these types of greenhouse gases targets a two-thirds reduction in their usage and subsequent emissions by 2030. In a joint statement, companies revealed that work is already in progress to find an alternative to the HFA-227 gas. Yuri Martina, Chief Development and Medical Officer at Mundipharma, said: "This is the first step in our long-term plan to develop a near-zero-emissions asthma inhaler.

Hair loss can be due to many different reasons, including genitichni and environmental factors. An interesting fact is that many diseases can occur solely or principally with the complaint of hair loss. One of the most common causes of hair loss is androgenetic alopecia. Other common causes of hair loss can be telogen efluvium, alopecia areata, ringworm after cosmetic treatments. A rare form of hair loss is more difficult to diagnose, it is necessary to do the research, although in some cases the condition may remain undiagnosed. In some cases it may not be an appropriate method of treatment. In recent years, studies have expanded human hair, causes of hair loss and the development of new treatments. This is a very optimistic especially for people who are affected by rare species and forms of hair loss.

keep pet to stay healthy is the desire for all pet lovers. Inevitably you have to find a lot of information but sometimes we get a little information about them. Here is information keep your pet in your outreach, which in conditioning your pet to remain in environmentally friendly. For more information about Eco-friendly tips read more on marthastewart

Apple cider vinegar, a fermented drink made using crushed apples is considered a wholesome beverage by many wellness enthusiasts. Sure enough, it possesses copious nutrients like B vitamins, vitamin C, acetic acid, phosphorous, sodium, iron, calcium, and magnesium that work together towards enhancing overall physical salubriousness. However, despite its remarkable health-boosting benefits, its over consumption can also lead to a number of side-effects that can have a detrimental effect on your wellbeing. Here are seven such apple cider vinegar side effects: 1. Erosion of Tooth Enamel: Apple cider vinegar is considered a great home remedy for teeth whitening, but using it excessively for that purpose can backfire. The acetic acid contained in apple cider vinegar makes the teeth susceptible to erosion, easy decay, enhanced sensitivity and gum problems like bleeding and itching. If you want to make use of ACV, without damaging your pearly whites, it is advisable to dilute it in water before rinsing your mouth with it. 2. Stomach Irritation: Here's another one of apple vinegar side effects. Drinking ACV on a daily basis can trigger stomach irritation by resulting in acidity and corroding stomach lining, research conducted by the University of Arkansas's Department of Human Environmental Science reports. It can also cause other digestive problems like nausea and heartburn. If you are susceptible to gastrointestinal problems, exercise caution before including apple cider vinegar in your diet.

The questions on the form related to the child's home also apply to other indoor environments where the child spends time, including school, daycare, car, school bus, work, and recreational facilities.